So many visits, it seems like too much involvement to me,” Elena Popusoi, a voter in her 50s, told AFP. A loss for Sandu’s ruling Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) could throw up hurdles in the push towards EU integration. The opposition, led by the pro-Russian Patriotic bloc, argues that cutting ties with Russia has slowed the country’s economy. Shor has promised $3,000 to Moldovans who take to the streets against the ruling party, which he has accused of “political terrorism”. Pasha, the analyst, warned that any political instability following the vote would also be “quite convenient for Russian interests”.